Needling machine



Feb. 12 1924'.

\NAG NER NEEDLING MACHINE Filed Sept. 12. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

BY [342% WWW,

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 12 1924..

- w. H. WAGNER NEEDLING MACHINE 12, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYJ Patented Feb. 12, 1924.-

tears BLANKET COMPANY, CONSIN.

OF BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- NEEDLING MACHINE.

Application filed September 12, 1921. Serial No, 500,203.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM H. WAGNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Racine and State of /Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ncedling Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to machines for making what is known as needled fabric, which consists of loosely felted or matted material thrust by barbed needles through or into one or more stays of woven material such as burlap.

The objects of the present invention are to apply to such fabric, borders or figures of various designs and colors or shades for rugs and other articles; to hold the pattern bat or sheet of batting of which the border or other design is made, securely in place on the body or foundation fabric for shaping and then attaching it by needling to the body or foundation; and generally to adapt machines of this kind for producing pattern work of various designs, and contrasting colors or shades.

It consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 1-l, Fig. 3, of a portion of a needling machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation and partial cross section of the feed table and the pattern frame in position thereon, as viewed from the left relative to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 except the needle beam, which is omitted; Fig. 4: is a cross section on the line 4- 1, Fig. 1, of the suction chest and perforated feed plate; and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a piece of a partially formed figured or bordered needled fabric, specially designed for making bordered rugs or mats.

The improvements constituting the present invention for producing bordered or figured needled fabric of various patterns or designs, may be incorporated in needling machines of different kinds, as for example, in a machine substantially like that shown and described in United States Letters Pat ent No. 1,326,236, issued to me December 30, 1919, so much of such a machine as is essential to a clear understanding of the present invention being shown in the accompanying drawing. 3

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, 1 designates a vertically reciprocating needle beam provided with needles 2, and guided in a frame 3. A hollow or chambered needle bed 5, guided and vertically adjustable in the frame 3 below and parallel with the beam 1, has a longitudinally slotted or perforated top wall with the slots or holes 6, in which the needles 2 are arranged. to register} The machine maybe provided with any suitable mechanism, as shown and described for example, in the above mentioned Letters Patent, for operating the needle beam, ad justing the needle bed, and "feeding the materials for making the bordered or figured 1ijabiric between the needle beam and needle For the body or foundation of the borderedor figured fabric, a needled fabric consisting of one or more stays of woven fabric such as burlap, to one or both faces of which bats or sheets of loosely felted or .matted fibrous material are attached by needling, may be and preferably is used.

For producing the border or other design in a contrasting color or shade, a bat o-rsheet of loosely felted ormatted fibrous material of the desired color or shade, is spread upon the body or foundation sheet, shaped by re moving portions thereof or otherwise, ac-

cording to the desired configuration of the border, figure or design to be applied to the body or foundation fabric and then incorporated therewith by the usual needling operation.

To securely hold the pattern hat or sheet in place on the body or. foundation .fabric as it is fed to the needles and thrust thereby through or into such body or foundation fabric, so that the pattern bat will be evenly applied and the border, figure or design formed thereby will have the desired contour, is one of the main objects of the present invention. To this end the machine is provided with an air chamber or suction chest 8, with which the hollow or chambered needle bed 5 communicates or of which it forms a part.

The top wall of the chamber or chest 8 consists of a perforated plate 9, which may be made of metal, and over which the body or foundation fabric on which the pattern bat is spread, is fed to the needle bed 5 between the perforated wall thereof and the needle beam 1.

The feed plate 9 is attached at one end to and is adjustable with the needle bed 5 flush with the upper face thereof, of which it constitutes in effect an extension towards the front end of the machine. At its opposite or front end the plate 9 has a flexible hinge connection 11 with the adjacent end of the chamber or chest 8. At the other end of said chamber or chest its bottom wall 12, which is stationary and extends underneath the needle bed 5, is connected therewith by a flexible strip 13, to form a substantially tight closure between them, and allow for the vertical adjustment of the needle bed.

The stationary side walls 14 of the suction chest are connected, as shown in Fig. 4. by flexible strips 15 with the frame of the adjustable feed plate 9, to form air tight joints. The suction chest is connected by a pipe 17 with a pump or fan for exhausting air therefrom and producing a down draft through the openings in the needle bed 5 and plate 9 The body fabri and the pattern bat are fed to the machine preferably from rolls (not shown), upon a feed table 19 forming an extension of the perforated feed plate 9. The plate 9 and table 19 are provided with side guides 21 and 22, for directing the body fabric with the pattern bat spread thereon, in proper position between the needle beam 1 and needle bed 5.

As a convenient means for shaping the pattern bat, designated by the numeral 24 in Fig. 5, to correspond with the contour of the border, figure or design to be produced, the machine is provided as shown, with a pattern frame 26, removably mounted on the table 19 and guided or positioned thereon by adjustable gage arms 27, connected with or engaging one of the side guides 21.

The machine is or may be provided with a number of interchangeable pattern frames 26, of various sizes and shapes, for the production of different designs.

Each frame is provided on the under side with teeth 29, arranged according to the contour of the design to be produced, and is also provided with a stripper for releasing the pattern bat 24 from the teeth when the frame is lifted from the feed table 19. The stripper consists as shown, of bars or rods 31, arranged between or adjacent the rows of teeth and movably connected with the frame by stems .32 passing upwardly through it and guided therein and in brackets 33 attached thereto. Handle bars 34: are fastened to the stems 32, and springs 35 placed on the rods between the frame and handle bars, hold the stripper normally up against the frame above the points of the teeth 29. The frame is provided underneath the bars 34 with handles 36, for lifting it from the feed table 19, the stripper being depressed by grasping a handle bar with the handle below it in each hand.

ln-the operation of the machine a web of foundation or body fabric, designated in Fig. 5 by the numeral 38, is fed, preferably from a roll, with a pattern bat 2%. also preferably taken from a roll, over the feed table 19 and perforated feed plate 9, to and between the needle beam 1 and needle bed 5.

As the web'of body fabric 38 with the pattern bat 2 L spread thereon, passes over the table 19, the pattern frame 26 is placed in position thereon, and portions of the bat not engaged by the teeth 29 and exposed are pulled away by the operator, only those portions which are held by the teeth on the body web 38 and are required for the production of the desired figure or design being left, as shown at 39, Fig. 5. This operation of removing portions of the pattern bat 24-, may be performed while the material is being fed to the needling mechanism, the pattern frame 26 being advanced therewith over the table 19.

The pattern frame is then lifted from the table, shifted back and placed in position to remove another portion or portions of the pattern bat for another figure or section of the design.

Air being drawn through the exhaust pipe 17 from the chamber or chest 8, and a strong down draft produced. and maintained through the openings in the feed plate 9 and needle bed, the remaining portions of the pattern bat for forming the design, after the pattern frame 26 is removed therefrom, are sucked and held smoothly and closely against'and securely in place upon the body or foundation fabric 38 as it passes over the perforated feed plate 9 and needle bed 5.

'VVhile it is so held in place, the pattern bat 24 is needled to and incorporated with the foundation fabric 88, producing the desired figure or design in contrasting color or shade.

lVhen the pattern bat 2 1 has been thus needled into and incorporated with the foundation fabric, as shown at the right in Fig. 5, it does not appreciably increase the thickness of the finished product, or produce a noticeable break in its surface except that which results from the contrasting colors or shades.

Various modifications in the construction and arrangement of part-s of the machine may be made without material effect upon its mode of operation or departure from the principle and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim 1. In a needling machine the combination of a reciprocating needle beam provided with needles, and a hollow bed having openings with which the needles register, and an air exhausting connection with the bed.

2. In a needling machine the combination of a reciprocating needle beam provided with needles, a needle bed having openings with which the needles register, and a suction chest having an air exhausting connection and a perforated wall over which the material to be needled is fed between the needle beam and bed.

3. In a needling machine the combination of a reciprocating needle beam provided with needles, a needle bed having openings with which the needles register and a suction chest communicating with the openings in the needle bed and having an air exhausting connection and a perforated wall over which the material to be needled is fed to the needle bed.

4;. In a needling machine the combination of a reciprocating needle beam provided with needles, a vertically adjustable perforated needle bed, a perforated feed plate adjustable with the needle bed, and a suction chest having an air exhausting connection in communication with the perforations in the needle bed and feed plate. 7

5. In a needling machine the combination of the feed table, and a pattern frame removably mounted on the table and provided with teeth arranged according to the design to be produced and with a stripper for separating the pattern bat from the teeth.

6. In a needling machine the combination of a feed table provided with a longitudinal side guide, a pattern frame removably mounted on the table and having gage connections with the side guide.

7. In a needling machine the combination of a vertically reciprocating needle beam provided with needles, a perforated needle bed with which the needles are arranged to cooperate, a feed table, a perforated feed plate between the needle bed and table, a suction chest having an air exhausting connection with the openings in the needle bed and feed plate, and a pattern frame removably mounted on the feed table and provided with teeth arranged according to the design to be produced with a pattern bat spread on a foundation fabric.

8. In a needling machine the combination with needling mechanism of a suction chest having an exhaust connection and a perforated wall upon which materials to be united by needling are fed to the needling mechanism.

9. In combination with mechanism for uniting layers of fabric material, a suction chest having an exhaust connection and a perforated wall upon which the layers of material are held in place together by the air draft through them as they are fed to said uniting mechanism.

In witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

WILLIAM H. WAGNER. 

